Paul Schumacher
We sat down with Paul Schumacher of Schumacher Homes to learn why the largest home builder in the country chose to feature insulated vinyl siding on their model homes.
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“Hi, I’m Paul Schumacher of Schumacher Homes. Schumacher Homes is the largest custom home builder in the country. Unlike typical home builders, all of our model homes are located in highly visible retail locations. We like to think of it as a Parade of Homes 365 days a year.
It’s essential for us to show the latest and greatest in our building products and materials to our customers who are coming through on a daily basis. Let’s face it, people are very visual, so it’s very difficult to look at a small product chip and envision what it’s going to look like on their home. Seeing it in a real life setting on the actual home, people can get a feel if that’s the look and the style of the material that they want on their home.
When it comes to siding in particular, a lot of people ask about cement siding because they like the look of it, however they don’t like the drawback of the maintenance part of it. That’s where we sit down and educate people on all their options. They can go with a vinyl siding product that has the same look of the cement siding but 
also has the added benefit of completely maintenance free as well as the energy efficiency of the foam-backed product, so then you get the best of both worlds. You get the look and the feel and the energy efficiency with no maintenance.”
For more info about insulated vinyl siding, click here.
More about Schumacher Homes: Schumacher Homes is the largest and one of the most decorated custom home builders in the country. Over the years, Schumacher Homes has taken the promise of an affordable, innovative, fully customized home and made it a reality for more than 8,000 families across the country. And, no two of those homes is alike. Each reflects the personal design choices and dreams of its owners.?See more at http://www.schumacherhomes.com/aboutus.aspx?mn=nav
If you’re interested in learning about different methods of insulating homes or other structures, then siding insulation is a phrase you definitely need to be familiar with. It can completely change the way you look at insulation; not only does it provide energy efficiency, but it can even improve the performance of the siding and the whole wall system!
Let’s start by identifying the basic problem that siding insulation solves. When most people think of home insulation, they picture pink, fluffy fiberglass insulation that goes in between the wall studs and other framing members. This type of insulation is great for adding R-value to the wall and making your home more energy-efficient, but there is one big flaw with this method of insulating a home; by putting batt insulation between the studs, you do not insulate over top of the studs themselves. This leaves a major ?thermal bridge? for energy to leak across. In the winter, heat from the warm inside of the home escapes to the cooler outdoors; in the summer, warm air from the outside comes across the studs, warming the cooler interior of your home.
So how do you break this thermal bridge and stop the energy loss? You guessed it? siding insulation. Siding insulation is rigid foam insulation that is contoured to fit the shape of the siding panel it is paired with. It can be installed behind the siding on the job site or laminated to some siding panels during the manufacturing process. Because the siding insulation is installed on the outside of the home, it completely covers up the wall studs and other framing members, breaking the thermal bridge.?Click here to watch a short video clip about how siding insulation?breaks the thermal bridge.
Now that you know what siding insulation is, you may have asked yourself one of the following questions. Although the answer to both could be “yes”, here’s why siding insulation is the better choice:
Insulating from the inside out can be an expensive & messy process
1.)Can I insulate over the studs from the inside out instead?
2.)If I decide to insulate from the outside in, can I use something other than siding insulation?
If you decide to insulate on the exterior, there are other?flat foam product options to insulate under?new siding.?However, by using contoured siding insulation you reap extra benefits. Depending on the type of siding that siding insulation is paired with, benefits can include:
- Increased impact resistance (more)
- Enhanced moisture management, protecting your home from mold (more)
- Protects against pests, such as termites (more)
- Perfectly installed panels every time for an enhanced appearance, and more!
To learn about the benefits of adding siding insulation to a specific siding type, click here:
VINYL SIDING – FIBER CEMENT SIDING – COMPOSITE WOOD – STEEL – OTHER
A couple speaks about their experience with a home improvement project.
As consumers, when we consider buying a product or soliciting a service, we will ask friends or family their opinions or suggestions. Generally we tend to value the references of others more than what salesmen or manufacturers tell us about their products and services. Consumer reviews typically represent unbiased, third-party opinions that can help us make a purchase decision. The larger the purchase, the more people we may consult before making a decision.
Thanks to the Internet, we now have an almost unending stream of consumer reviews right at our fingertips. Many websites will feature comment sections where consumers can submit their reviews. In addition, there are many third-party websites such as Angie’s List, Yelp, Consumer Reports and others that provide up-to-date reviews, whether they be positive or negative.
No matter what product or service you’re considering, checking out reviews can give you a sneak peak into the level of satisfaction that others have experienced when making a similar purchase. For example, reviews can help give you an idea of:
Remember a time when “green” was simply a color in a crayon box? Ever since the push towards more environmentally conscious ways of living swept the nation, the word “green” has taken on a whole new meaning.
Many companies have hopped on the boat to ride the green wave, and consumers are now forced to wade through the “greenwashing”. “Greenwashing” is defined as “the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company, or the environmental benefits of a product or service.”1 Because there is not one main organization to police green claims and prove their validity, consumers need to understand how to determine for themselves if products are truly “green”.
Here are a few tips to help in the process:
- Look for Products with Certifications
Today there are organizations (more…)
Fiber cement boards without insulation were ripped off this home during the 2004 hurricane season.
Homes with CraneBoard insulated siding weathered the same storms. (Photo courtesy of Exterior Portfolio by Crane)
Last week, Hurricane Irene caused an estimated $7-$13 billion of damage to properties throughout the ten East Coast states she affected (according to ABCnews.com). A large portion of this damage happened to personal property, such as residences. Many?families are now being forced to not only deal with the emotional strain due to the?devastation, but also the financial strain of repairing the damage to their homes.
As we begin to move forward and repair the homes that were damaged, one thing we can learn from the devastation is that we should use the most durable building materials that are available, but still affordable. Although our structures could all be rebuilt using materials such as concrete with reinforcing bars, it probably wouldn’t be very cost effective or provide the home design options that other exterior products do.
The products you chose for the outside of your home will determine how well it weathers the storm. Although no siding product can escape the wrath of Mother Nature, some products have been proven in the field and in the lab to perform better than others during her normal episodes such as rain, hail and even tornadoes and hurricanes.
Here are five characteristics that can help you determine the durability of the products you are considering for the exterior of your home:
- Impact Resistance
How well the product can stand up to impacts from items such as?hail, rocks thrown from your lawn mower or your child’s baseball will greatly determine how durable it is. Look for?product test?reports or video demonstrations to see how durable one product is compared to another. ?
Click to Play: Annette was thankful she chose a durable siding material when a tree fell on her home!
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- Wind Rating
In many areas, particularly coastal zones, a product’s wind rating is essential to understanding how it will stand up to the elements. The higher the wind rating, the more intense weather the product will be able to stand up to, preserving your home’s appearance during some of the?harshest weather.
? - Moisture Performance
Heavy rains are usually par for the course when it comes to?severe weather. How your?exterior products?manage that moisture will greatly impact how well your home is protected from damage. Exterior products need to shield your?home from bulk water while allowing the moisture that does get in your wall system?to?escape,?drying the wall completely.
? ? - Resistance to Pests
The?exterior of your home is its first defense against unwanted critters such as?termites. Look for products that eliminate spaces for pests to nest and are resistant to insection infestation. Some products even contain insecticides that repel pests but are safe for installers and homeowners.
? - Warranties
Companies that have testing and field experience to prove the durability of their products will?typically back?them up with strong, extended warranties. Look for products with these types of warranties so you can rest assured that your product is promised to perform, or it will be replaced in the event that it doesn’t.
Whether you’re looking to repair your home’s damaged exterior or build a new home, make sure you do your research and select durable products that will weather the storm and protect your home for years to come.
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Right now, people all across the United States are dealing with a?intense heat wave. Many areas have been?placed under?excessive heat advisories and warnings, with temperatures reaching?100? and above. During times like these, most people try to stay indoors whenever possible to keep cool and avoid serious health conditions such as heat?exhaustion and heat stroke.
In?weather this hot, your air conditioner must work extremely hard?to keep the inside of your home cool. The harder?your air conditioner?works, the more expensive your energy bills become. Not only is your home surrounded by?heat, but that heat may also be forcing it’s way into your home through a process called “thermal bridging”. In our March 16th post, we discussed how thermal bridging works during the winter, but?in light of the recent heat wave, we now want to explain how?it works in the summer.
First, what is thermal bridging??Thermal bridging is the?movement of heat through the side walls?of your home.?Heat?bypasses the fiberglass batt insulation (pink stuff) in your wall cavity and moves across the wooden studs. Heat always moves towards cold, so during the summer, heat is transferring through?your walls from the warm outside to the cool interior of your home.
How serious is the problem? You may be wondering how bad this energy leak really is, so picture this: 25% of your home’s wall surface is made of studs, so even if you have pink insulation in the cavity, that’s like having one entire wall of your home with NO INSULATION! That huge energy leak?may be?costing you money every day!
What is the solution? When faced with thermal bridging, you really have three options:
- Live with the higher energy bills for as long as you own your home
? - Keep your home warmer and endure a less comfortable indoor environment, but lower your energy bills
? - Lower your energy bills for?LIFE by adding insulation to your walls
My?personal favorite is #3, and the United States Department of Energy seems to agree with me. They say that “When new siding is to be installed, it’s a good idea to consider adding thermal insulation under new siding.”?Click here to see how much insulation they recommend for your?climate zone.
Installing rigid insulation under new siding?is like?putting a neoprene sleeve on your beverage during the?summer; it keeps heat from the outdoors from getting in and warming up the inside.?This will lowering your energy bills in the summer?as well as?the winter.
The best part is that some insulation products can provide additional benefits, such as termite resistance, increased siding durability, moisture management and much more! So if you are thinking about residing your home and want to beat the heat for years to come, consider adding insulation under your new siding!
Click to play video
Matt and I talk about interior style all the time, but what about the style of the exterior of your home? Well, here’s a brief history of home styles, see if you can figure out what style home you live in!
We hope you had a great 4th of July weekend! With Independence Day still fresh in our minds, we thought this would be a great time to discuss some of the benefits of buying American made products. There are many benefits to buying locally produced American products, but here are a few of our favorites.
A new remodeling project is a big investment in your home, and it’s important to choose the right contractor for the job. The quality of service provided by your contractor is just as important as the quality of the products you select for your home. The right contractor can provide an enjoyable experience, while a bad one can turn your dream project into a nightmare.
The keys to choosing the right contractor for your home improvement project are to do your research and know what questions to ask. An educated buyer is a confident buyer, and we all want to have confidence in our decisions when making home improvement projects that will last for many years. Below are our suggested steps for selecting the right contractor for your next?job.
If you have ever taken the time to clip a coupon, browse the clearance rack, or shop around for the best deal, you clearly know the value of a dollar. We all want to make sure we are getting the same quality product, for the best price. Sometimes the cost of a product can restrict us from making purchases we really want, when we want.
If you’ve been considering making an energy efficient upgrade to your home or business, you may be happy to hear there are many programs available today to help make the purchase a little easier on your wallet. These incentives are in place to encourage choosing energy efficient products instead of alternatives, while reducing the difference in price for homeowners.